Californians for High Speed Rail Thanks Governor Brown for His Leadership

San Francisco, Calif., Aug 19, 2011 – Californians For High Speed Rail (CA4HSR) thanks Governor Jerry Brown for his leadership on the California High-Speed Rail project. On Wednesday, Governor Brown reaffirmed his decades-long commitment to high speed rail in California, while acknowledging the challenges that face America’s most ambitious infrastructure project. While citing the “massive retrenchment” going on at the Federal level, Brown nevertheless declared that he “would like to be part of the group that gets America to think big again.”

California high speed rail is the most visionary transportation project currently underway in the United States, as it anticipates connecting all of California’s major population centers with 800 miles of track, whisking passengers along at top speeds of 220 miles an hour. While high speed rail has long been a fixture in East Asia and Western Europe, its development here is presently less advanced than in Russia, Turkey, or Morocco.

“California has a fateful choice to make this year. Do we cede our role as the state which does today what the rest of the country dreams about tomorrow? Do we go along with the spirit of the times which emphasizes all of the things our country can’t do, and precious little of what it can?” said Daniel Krause, executive director of Californians for High Speed Rail. “During the great Depression, California built the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, as well as various dams across the state; the time is now to invest in California for the coming century. Thankfully, we have an experienced governor who looks a little further than four years into the future.”

Californians for High Speed Rail is committed to assisting the governor and various California stakeholders in ensuring that this once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring California’s transport system fully into the 21st Century is not squandered.

Brian Stanke, chairman of Californians for High Speed rail said, “What often gets left out when discussing the pros and cons of high speed rail is the cost of doing nothing. That cost has been estimated at $100 billion for new freeways and airport-related construction. High speed rail on the other hand would serve to enhance these transportation modes by reducing congestion on California’s roads and opening airspace to national and international flights. Even people who will never set foot on the train will see tangible benefits.”

About Californians For High Speed Rail
Californians For High Speed Rail (CA4HSR) is a grassroots, statewide coalition of high speed rail supporters advocating for the high speed rail project approved by California voters in November 2008. Founded in 2005, we exist to educate, inform, and organize Californians about ways they can help make high speed rail a reality in the Golden State. Additionally, CA4HSR also encourages sustainable development of the high speed rail (HSR) system, promotes the building of HSR stations in city centers, transit-oriented developments, as well as developing/improving feeder transit systems. Visit us at: www.ca4hsr.org